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The word anxiety comes from the Latin word anxietas, which means to choke or upset. The symptoms therefore include emotional or behavioral symptoms as well as ways of thinking that are responses to feeling as if one is in danger. Anxiety happens as a normal part of life. It is a normal human emotion that everyone experiences at times.
They can cause such distress that it interferes with a
person's ability to lead a normal life. It can even be useful when it alerts you to danger. Anxiety disorders, however,
are different, as it interferes with daily activities such as work, school or sleep. This
type of anxiety can disrupt relationships and enjoyment of life, and over time
it can lead to health concerns and other problems.
There are several recognized types of
anxiety disorders. The most common anxiety disorders are specific phobias.
Other anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic
disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD) — have more-specific triggers and symptoms. Sometimes, anxiety
results from a medical condition that needs treatment.
Whatever form of anxiety you have, lifestyle changes, counseling
or medications or a combination of these approaches can help.
Types of anxiety disorders:
Panic attacks can start suddenly and cause apprehension, fear or terror. You may have feelings of impending doom, shortness of breath, heart palpitations or chest pain. You may feel as if you're choking or being smothered.
Phobias - A phobia is defined as the unrelenting fear of a situation, activity, or thing that causes one to want to avoid it. Phobias are largely under-reported, probably because many phobia sufferers find ways to avoid the situations to which they are phobic. There are several types of phobias, including social, situation based, animal, and specific phobias (fear of particular items or objects).
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) includes persistent, recurring thoughts, images or impulses (obsessions) or an irresistible desire to perform irrational or seemingly purposeless acts or rituals (compulsions). Often it involves both obsessive and compulsive behavior.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) includes the feeling that you're re-experiencing an extremely traumatic event. It causes intense emotions and physical reactions along with a desire to avoid anything that might remind you of the event.
Generalized anxiety disorder includes at least six months of persistent and excessive
anxiety and worry about small or large concerns. This type of anxiety disorder
often begins at an early age. It frequently occurs along with other anxiety
disorders or depression.
Anxiety disorder due to a medical
condition includes
prominent symptoms of anxiety that are directly caused by a physical health
problem.
Substance-induced anxiety
disorder is characterized by prominent symptoms of anxiety that are a direct result of
abusing drugs, taking medications or being exposed to a toxic substance.
Separation anxiety disorder is a childhood disorder characterized by anxiety related to separation from parents or others who have parental roles.
Symptoms
Symptoms
of anxiety in children and teens tend to be consistent with how they
express feelings in general. For example, lacking the higher ability to express
feelings verbally compared to older children, younger children tend to express
anxiety by complaining of physical symptoms like stomach upset or
headaches.
Compared
to anxiety symptoms in children, in teens, the symptoms of anxiety will more
closely approximate those in adults. However, adolescents are more likely than
adults to exhibit anxiety by becoming irritable or angry.
Studies
indicate that men seem to experience different types of effects of anxiety
compared to women. Specifically, men tend to exhibit more psychological
symptoms of anxiety, like tension, irritability, and a sense of impending doom.
In contrast, women tend to develop more physical symptoms like chest pain,
palpitations, shortness of breath, and nausea. Further, it seems that
women with such physical symptoms of anxiety are more at risk for developing
heart problems.
Symptoms vary depending on the type of
anxiety disorder, but common anxiety
signs and symptoms include:
- Feeling apprehensive
- Feeling powerless
- Repeated thoughts or flashbacks of traumatic experiences
- Having an increased heart rate
- Problems sleeping
- Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)
- An inability to be still and calm
- Sweating
- Feeling weak or tired
Your
worries may not go away by themselves, and they may actually get worse over
time if you don't seek help. See your doctor or a mental health provider under
following circumstances before your anxiety gets worse as it may be easier to
treat if you address it early:-
- You feel like you're worrying too much and it's interfering with your work, relationships or other parts of your life
- You feel depressed, have trouble with alcohol or drug use, or have other mental health concerns along with anxiety
- You think your anxiety could be linked to a physical health problem
- You have suicidal thoughts or behaviors (seek emergency treatment immediately)
Causes
As with many mental health conditions, the exact cause
of anxiety disorders isn't fully understood. Life experiences such as traumatic
events appear to trigger anxiety disorders in people who are already prone to
becoming anxious.While there is no single cause of anxiety disorders, individuals with a family history of anxiety and depression are more at risk for having GAD. Younger adults are more likely to have GAD or social anxiety disorder compared to older adults.
Life stresses, involving health problems and family disagreements, inhibited temperament, parental anxiety, and having family and friends who somehow support avoidant coping mechanisms are risk factors for developing an anxiety disorder. Adolescents who smoke and, in children, girls, particularly those who begin puberty early, seem to be more likely to develop anxiety than their age peers of both genders.
Medical causes
For some people, anxiety is linked to an underlying health issue. In some cases, anxiety signs and symptoms are the first indicators that you have a medical illness. If your doctor suspects your anxiety may have a medical cause, he or she may order lab tests and other tests to look for signs of a problem.
Physical problems that can be linked to anxiety include:
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Thyroid problems (such as hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism)
- Asthma
- Drug abuse
- Alcohol withdrawal
- Withdrawal from anti-anxiety medications (benzodiazepines)
- Rare tumors that produce certain "fight-or-flight" hormones
- Muscle cramps or spasms
- Tingling, burning or prickling sensations that may have no apparent cause
It's more likely that your anxiety may be due to an underlying medical condition if:
- Your anxiety symptoms started after age 35
- You don't have any blood relatives (such as a parent or sibling) with an anxiety disorder
- You didn't have an anxiety disorder as a child
- You don't avoid certain things or situations because of anxiety
- No events have occurred in your life that were triggered by significant anxiety
- Medications used to treat feelings of panic (such as benzodiazepines) don't ease your anxiety symptoms
Treatments and drugs
When anxiety is severe, disrupts your day-to-day life, causes panic attacks or doesn't get better over time, you may have a disorder that needs to be diagnosed and treated.
The two main treatments for anxiety disorders are behavior therapy (psychotherapy) and medications. You may benefit most from a combination of the two. It may take some trial and error to discover exactly what treatments work best for you.
Psychotherapy
Also known as behavior or talk
therapy or psychological counseling, psychotherapy involves working with a
therapist to reduce your anxiety symptoms. It can be an effective treatment for
anxiety.Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most effective forms of psychotherapy for anxiety disorders.
Generally a short-term treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on teaching you specific skills to gradually return to the activities you have avoided because of anxiety. Through this process, your symptoms improve as you build upon your initial success.
Medications
Several different types of medications are used to treat anxiety disorders, including those below. Talk with your doctor about benefits, risks and possible side effects.
Antidepressants - These medications influence the activity of brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) thought to play a role in anxiety disorders. Examples of antidepressants used to treat anxiety disorders include fluoxetine (Prozac), imipramine (Tofranil), paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva), sertraline (Zoloft), and venlafaxine (Effexor XR). Citalopram (Celexa) and escitalopram (Lexapro) also can be effective, but dosages of about 40 milligrams (mg) a day of citalopram or 20 mg a day of escitalopram warrant discussion of risks versus benefits.
Buspirone - An anti-anxiety medication called buspirone may be used on an ongoing basis. As with most antidepressants, it typically takes up to several weeks to become fully effective.
Benzodiazepines - In limited circumstances your
doctor may prescribe one of these sedatives for relief of anxiety symptoms. Examples
include alprazolam (Niravam, Xanax), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), clonazepam
(Klonopin), diazepam (Valium), and lorazepam (Ativan). Benzodiazepines are
generally used only for relieving acute anxiety on a short-term basis. Because
they can be habit-forming, these medications aren't a good choice if you've had problems with
alcohol or drug abuse.
Natural Remedies - For individuals who may be wondering how to avoid panic attacks using treatment without prescribed medications, natural remedies may be an option.
While treatment like hypnosis and herbal supplements that contain kava have been found to be helpful for some people with some anxiety disorders, the research data are still considered to be too limited for many physicians to recommend treatment with other natural remedies like valerian or passionflower. Also, care should be taken when taking any dietary supplements, since dietary supplements and "natural" remedies are not regulated in terms of quality, content, or effectiveness.
Self-care measures - There are also self-care measures that people with anxiety can do to help make treatment more effective. Since substances like caffeine, alcohol, and illicit drugs can worsen anxiety, those things should be avoided.
Other tips to prevent
or manage anxiety symptoms include engaging in aerobic exercise and stress-management
techniques like deep breathing, massage
therapy, and yoga, since these
self-help activities have also been found to help decrease the frequency and
severity of symptoms.
Although many people
breathe into a paper bag when afflicted by the hyperventilation that can be associated with panic, the
benefit received may be the result of the individual believing it will remedy
the symptoms (placebo effect).
Also, breathing into a paper bag when one is having trouble breathing can make matters worse when the hyperventilation is the result of conditions of oxygen deprivation, like an asthma attack or a heart attack.
Lifestyle Changes
While most people with anxiety disorders need
psychotherapy or medications to get anxiety under control, lifestyle changes
also can make a difference. Here's what you can do:Keep physically active. Develop a routine so that you're physically active most days of the week. Exercise is a powerful stress reducer. It can improve your mood and help you stay healthy. Start out slowly and gradually increase the amount and intensity of your activities.
Avoid alcohol and other
sedatives. These
substances can worsen anxiety.
Quit smoking and cut back or quit
drinking coffee. Both
nicotine and caffeine can worsen anxiety.
Use relaxation techniques. Visualization techniques, meditation and yoga are
examples of relaxation techniques that can ease anxiety.
Make sleep a priority. Do what you can to make sure you're getting enough
quality sleep. If you aren't sleeping well, see your doctor.
Eat healthy. Healthy eating — such as focusing on vegetables, fruits,
whole grains and fish — may be linked to reduced anxiety, but more research is
needed. Avoid fried, fatty, sugary and processed foods.
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